Domestic Turbine Manufacturing Booming

EghtesadOnline: Domestically-manufactured gas and steam turbines comply with international standards and can compete with foreign turbines.

News ID: ۷۴۴۳۴۷

06 November 2017

Mohsen Tarztalab, managing director of Iran's Thermal Power Plants Holding Company, made the statement on the sidelines of the 17th Iran International Electricity Exhibition that opened in Tehran on Saturday, IRNA reported.

"German engineering giant Siemens, one of the world's biggest turbine manufacturers, and Italy's Ansaldo Energia, a leading international player in the power generation industry, helped the country upgrade its E-class turbines, which resulted in boosting capacity and efficiency of power plants," he said.

He noted that Iran's top engineering and energy enterprise MAPNA Group indigenized E-class turbine technology to produce an improved design of a gas turbine named MGT-70 that can boost output from electrical infrastructure without embarking on new and costly power plant projects. According to MAPNA, most turbines used in Iranian power stations are from the E-class family and can be upgraded to the new MGT-70 with improved efficiency and performance. The upgrade includes a redesign of main components of the turbine, namely blades, vanes and the cooling system, Financial Tribune reported.

"The new MGT-70 turbine will reduce annual fuel consumption by up to 20 million cubic meters per unit compared to the previous design," the company officials said.

MAPNA Group, a conglomerate of Iranian companies, is not only involved in development and execution of thermal and renewable power but also plays a key role in upgrading Iran's power industry.

Siemens told AFP in March it signed an agreement with MAPNA to help modernize Iran's energy infrastructure.

As part of the agreement, MAPNA would acquire the know-how to manufacture Siemens F-class gas turbines in Iran and the parties would cooperate to deliver more than 20 turbines and associated generators over the next decade.

Siemens and MAPNA signed a memorandum of understanding earlier in January "to jointly develop the roadmap for the extension and optimization of the Iranian power and electrification system", according to a statement by the German company.

New Capacity

Energy Ministry's officials say that between 3,000 to 3,500 megawatts in new installed power capacity will be added to the national grid by the summer of 2018.

"The new supply capacity is expected to help the country avoid periodic outages during the hot summer, when demand peaks for cooling homes and businesses," Tarztalab said, noting that the ministry has forecast electricity demand to surpass 57,000 MW next summer.

Plans are in place to increase the installed power generating capacity to 81,000 MW in 2018 before exceeding the 90,000-MW mark in 2019. Total electricity production capacity currently stands at 77,000 MW, of which 64,000 MW, or 80%, are generated in thermal power plants. In addition, 12,000 MW comes from hydroelectric plants and 1,000 MW from the nuclear power plant in Bushehr.